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As part of your care plan, your midwife will talk to you about your options and preferences for giving birth. Your midwife will make recommendations about the safest place for you to have your baby, recommendations are based on best evidence from guidance and research.
You are free to make informed choices about your care which may include accepting or declining these recommendations.
If you choose to decline elements of recommended care you may be offered a ‘birth outside of guidance’, discussion with a specialist team or a senior midwife, who can support you to make an individualised plan.
At home
Giving birth at home is safe for low-risk pregnancies. You can receive midwife-led care at home, midwives can provide a birthing pool and gas and air for pain relief.
If you choose to give birth at home, you’ll be supported by the community midwife team. You call triage when you go into labour and they will arrange two community midwives to come to your home for the birth. Most home births go as planned, but there is a chance you may need to come into hospital if you or your baby need additional support.
Please make your midwife aware if you would like to plan a home birth, they will arrange to see you at home around 36 weeks to perform a risk assessment and can provide further individualised information.
Birth Centres in Cornwall
We have three specialist midwife-led birth centres in Cornwall, birth centres are run by midwives and are suitable for low-risk labour care, pain relief is provided through water, massage, tens machines and gas and air:
Penrice birth centre is a community base and is run by a team of midwives and midwifery support workers. It is staffed between 9am and 5pm and available for labour and birth 24 hours a day. After the birth, you will return home when you are ready to do so, usually around 2 to 4 hours after the birth. There are no inpatient postnatal beds at Penrice. Call the triage line when you are in labour and the midwives will meet you at the birth centre.
The birth centre at Helston is only available for labour and birth, 24 hours a day. After the birth, you will return home when you are ready to do so, usually around 2 to 4 hours after the birth. There are no inpatient postnatal beds at Helston. Call the triage line when you are in labour and the midwives will meet you at the birth centre.
The Birth Centre in Truro can be found on the same floor as the Consultant led Delivery Suite. Our alongside midwifery unit offers a home from home relaxed labour environment, with each birthing room offering an en suite and birthing pool. Since alongside midwifery units are located within the hospital setting, they have immediate access to transfer for obstetric, neonatal and anaesthetic care if needed.
The Isles of Scilly
If you live on the Isles of Scilly, there is a midwife based here to provide antenatal and postnatal care, you have access to the birth centre on St Mary’s or may be advised to come to the mainland for your birth. Your midwife will discuss a safe plan of care for your pregnancy and birth with you, considering transfer times.
Consultant led unit
The Delivery Suite is at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Treliske in Truro. Care on the delivery suite is provided by midwives overseen by obstetricians (specialist doctors). You may be advised to give birth here if you have medical, pregnancy or labour complications. You can also access an epidural for pain relief on delivery suite.
If you live in the far north of Cornwall, you are also able to access the consultant-led units in Devon. Your midwife can advise you on this.
If you are likely to give birth before 26 weeks gestation, you will be transferred to a tertiary unit, our closest is Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. You will either be accompanied by a midwife before giving birth, or with a specialist transport team after you have given birth.
Page last reviewed: 4 November 2024